A Tribute to John McCain

John McCain  An American Hero

 It is with a heavy heart that the blog takes a pause from fish watching to remember John McCain.  John McCain was a truly great American.  His bravery is beyond question.  Shot down over North Vietnam, he refused release from a POW camp unless his fellow captives were released, as well.  He went on to live a storied political career, culminating with him preaching bipartisanship to his fellow Republicans.  And unlike most of those fellow Republicans, he had the backbone to call out Donald

A truly brave American.  Not!

Trump.  

   For this last bit of bravery, he inspired the wrath of our craven president.  This is not to say that Mr. Trump is not without courage.  Did it not require bravery to ask Stormy Daniels for a blow job?  And what about walking Ms. McDougal past his wife's bedroom, saying, "I don't think Melania's  home at the moment."   Chutzpah, no?

    On the other hand, Mr. Trump doesn't seem to have the onions to face Robert Mueller, so maybe he is only almost as brave as John McCain.  

    Years ago John McCain nearly became our president.  In one of his most notable acts, he reassured a lady at a campaign rally that Barrack Obama was not an evil man.  That alone assured his place in the pantheon of noble politicians. 

     Were it not for his disastrous pick of Sarah Palin as his running mate, he could well have been our president.  As blue a Democrat as I am, I considered voting for John McCain.  This vice presidential pick has had two long standing ramifications.  First, any black parent can now turn to their son or daughter and say, "Of course you can grow up to be president....as long as you were born in Hawaii and went to Punahou."

A memorable moment in American political theater

    That was a joke. Of course they can be president. 

     Unfortunately the black parent needs to add that they can't be president if they get shot by the po-lice or some crazed vigilante defending the local pharmacy.

    America!  My heart bleeds for you.

    Lastly, were it not for Sarah Palin , vice presidential candidate, we would have been denied one of the funniest skits in the history of comedy.  Sarah giving Tina Fey the fish eye is an iconic shot.   (We chose fish eye over stink eye in keeping with the mission statement of this blog)  I regret that the purloined picture is not quite in focus, but what a memory! 

    "And for those of you at home playing a drinking game...Maverick."

    Now we can get on with the blog.
 
     Yesterday I made it down to the pier.  In large part I was spurred by a Threadfin Jack alert from up Mahukona way.  Luckily, I can see the Kona coastline from my back yard, so, snorkel in hand, I made my way down to the Kailua pier.  Threadfin jacks have been seen at the pier, but not with the same frequency they are seen at Mahukona.  While this may approximate looking for a dime where the light is better   (Yes, I can quote Shakespeare and Bazooka bubblegum wrappers.) the pier is roughly an hour closer.

White Saddle Goatfish, Kailua Bay august 2018

    Things were downright hectic in Kailuaville.  Hurricane Lane had left in his wake a veritable mob eager to escape to the beach after four days of sequestration at home.  I fought my way through the multitude crowding the Ironman beach and started swimming in the warm, clear water.  Almost immediately I saw a pretty good fish.

   Here in the shallows was a single white saddle goatfish.  He was fairly cooperative, allowing a half dozen efforts on my part before disappearing into the coral.  As we have noted previously, this fish, which is Hawaii's only endemic goatfish, is not seen frequently.  John Hoover notes its desirability as a food fish and possible predation by introduced snappers as possible reasons for his small numbers.  In any event, it was really nice to see a worthy fish at the pier.

A Mu plays the palace

    As I swam out, I ran into the baitball.  The breakwater bounding Alii Drive was packed with
fisherman.  Their quarry, the giant school of big eye scad, had retired, well out of casting distance, to the area between the third and fourth swim buoys.  As I traversed this watery herd I got a glimpse of four large ulua.  Camera in hand, I willed those wolves of the sea to return, but they did not.

    At about the same time, diving a healthy cauliflower coral, I spied two speckled scorpionfish on adjoining coral leaves.  As the coral has recovered, this fish has returned, becoming one of the usual suspects on our Kailua Bay snorkel.   

   Way out in front of the palace I saw three Mu, two swimming as a pair.  Over the last month, this fish, also known as the big eye emperor, has become a regular in that location.  Not the most colorful,

Indo-pacific Sergeant, Kailua Bay August 2018

the mu carries itself with stately grace.  I always enjoy them.

   Cognizant that this swim was inspired by the threadfin jack, I spent some time outside the swim buoys.  I didn't see any threadfins, but I did receive a hail from an incoming parachute boat. Way better than getting run down.  

    Close in, where the parachute boat tied up briefly to the pier, I noted this handsome adolescent Indo-pacific sergeant.  Clear water and crisp lines.   Hawaii strong.


jeff